Tim Mueller’s Transaction Analysis: New IT M&A Deals Dec. 5

By: Tim Mueller | 4:55pm EST December 5, 2017

ConvergeOne To Go Public in 2018 Following Merger with Forum

Financial Information*

Anticipated Enterprise Value ~$1.2B

Transaction Facts

On December 1, IT services provider ConvergeOne announced that it had entered into a definitive agreement with blank check company Forum Merger Corporation (Nasdaq: FMCI). As a result of the transaction, ConvergeOne will become listed on the Nasdaq with an anticipated initial enterprise value of ~$1.2B.

Forum will change its name to ConvergeOne immediately upon close of the transaction, which is expected to occur in the first quarter of 2018.

Clearlake Capital Group will remain the largest shareholder in the company following the merger.

On the Fast Lane

$1B Solution Provider: Since being acquired by Clearlake Capital in 2014, ConvergeOne has been expanding at a fast pace. The company catapulted into the billion-dollar solution provider club through its $300M acquisition of SPS in August, which solidified its video business as well as its Cisco and Avaya practices (Cisco and Avaya together comprise ~60 percent of ConvergeOne’s total product sales, while SPS is a Premier Cisco partner and a Platinum Avaya partner). The purchase also advanced the company’s strategy to hone in on managed services and cloud solutions while gaining substantial portfolio expansion.

Active M&A Seeker: ConvergeOne has developed a strong track record of M&A, acquiring 12 different solution providers since 2009. Prior to the most recent SPS acquisition, ConvergeOne, which has a staff size of roughly 800 and over 7,000 customers, also bought IT services company Annese & Associates in July. As a Cisco Gold Certified Partner with public cloud capabilities and 47 years in the IT space, Annese increased ConvergeOne’s presence in the northeastern U.S. Previously, in December 2015, the company purchased cloud computing and data analytics firm SIGMAnet, and in October 2015, purchased managed services and collaboration provider Spanlink.

High Risk, High Reward: While going public has become an increasingly riskier move, ConvergeOne will be the latest of several major solution providers that have decided to push forward with an IPO. Earlier this year, Presidio completed an IPO (and also announced a proposed secondary offering in November), while CDW went public in 2013. Additionally, before Optiv was bought out by private equity firm KKR, the security solution provider nearly went public.

Growth Opportunities: ConvergeOne anticipates revenue growth from its promising collaboration and cloud services segments. For the fiscal year 2018, ConvergeOne projects collaboration sales of $834M — 69 percent of total revenue. With regards to managed, cloud and maintenance services, the segment is expected to generate $394M in fiscal year 2017 — an increase of 68 percent over last year’s performance.

Management Maestro: Chairman and CEO John McKenna, alongside his world-class management team, has formed the foundation for much of ConvergeOne’s success. With a strong eye for strategic M&A, McKenna has demonstrated how a company can continually increase in value through suitable acquisitions. He is well-equipped to lead ConvergeOne through its new form as a publicly traded entity.

To receive instant analysis on the day’s business news from Tim Mueller, contact [email protected]. Check out a list of diverse assets for sale on SBN’s IT M&A Marketplace powered by IT ExchangeNet here.

IT ExchangeNet is the industry-leading marketplace for matching buyers with sellers of mid-market IT businesses. Founded in 1998 by technology CEOs and M&A professionals, IT ExchangeNet is an efficient marketplace for owners of mid-market IT businesses seeking buyers or strategic partners. ExchangeNet follows a disciplined and highly targeted process, bringing buyers and sellers together to close deals with transaction values of less than $25 million.

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